Slow-cooker Butternut Squash Tempeh Chili - Vegan, GF

Simple chili loaded with veggies and tempeh.  This recipes serves 4.

I soak the beans over night in the un-plugged crock pot.  If you didn't do this, you can use canned beans but make sure you rinse them.

8 oz dried black beans (soaked overnight, see above) 

1 medium sized butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed

1 medium zucchini shredded

1 medium onion finely chopped

1 large can of chopped stewed tomatoes (20 oz?)

6oz Tempeh Crumbled

2 garlic cloves pressed

3 Tbs Chili powder (I use Frontier Organics)

1 Tbs Cumin powder

Hot Sauce (I use Crystal) to taste

Salt and Pepper 

After rinsing the beans that you soaked overnight return them to the crockpot and add about 24 oz of water.  Next add all of the veggies, the tempeh, freshly pressed garlic, cumin and chili powder and stir it up well. Turn the crock pot on high and let cook for at least 5 hours.  If you are going to be gone all day use the low or medium setting, make sure you do it first thing in the morning then!  

When it's almost time to eat salt and pepper it to taste. Use the hot sauce liberally :>

We like to eat ours with shredded cheddar, sour cream, chopped onions and fresh cilantro.

I know I shouldn't use canned tomatoes, but I haven't figured out a way to omit them yet. They are so easy! Maybe I could use fresh tomatoes and extra water... I'll have to get back to you on that.

Spaghetti and Marinara - Raw, Vegan, Low carb

The other day my friend took me to a lovely little raw vegan restaurant.   They had a delicious spaghetti  dish made from zucchini "noodles" but it was $18 a plate.   So today I figured how to make the "pasta" and  all I needed was  a spiral slicer which my mom had.  This gives it  real noodle effect but if you don't have one you can use a vegetable peeler.  The spiral slicer is so fun that I recommend you getting one if you don't have it.

So tonight for dinner we had zucchini pasta with marinara and shockingly my husband loved it.  He wanted meat so I put some chicken sausage on the top of his.  If you eat dairy then it is really delicious with some grated Parmesan on top. Mmmmmm Mmmmm. The best part is you can have a huge helping of the "pasta" guilt free!

Pasta:
4 Zucchinis
1 Tbs Olive Oil
1 tsp Red Wine Vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste


4-5  Small to Medium Tomatoes
5 oz of Sundried tomatoes packed in oil
2 garlic cloves (peeled and pressed)
1 Tbs spoon oregano
Salt to taste

Equipment:
Spiral Slicer or Vegetable  Peeler
Food Processor for a chunky sauce or a blender for a smoother sauce.



First peel the skin of the zucchinis. Next make the "noodles" according to your spiral slicer's directions.  My slicer made them in the shape of angel hair pasta, my favorite.  If you don't have a spiral slicer you can just use a vegetable peeler and shave thin slices of the zucchinis to make the noodles. Put in a bowl for later.

Next wash and remove the tomatoes stems and cut into quarters and put into your blender/ food processor.  Add the sundried tomatoes with the oil, garlic and oregano.  Blend until it's to the consistency you desire. You may have to stop the food processor and scrape the edges and keep blending.  Put the marinara in a sauce pan and heat over low heat until it is just warm. You can heat it as much as you like, but to keep it "raw" just heat above body temperature.  Salt to taste.  Sometimes the sundried tomatoes are pre salted and seasoned so taste before you salt!

Next drain any excess water that may have accumulated in the bottom of your zucchini bowl.  Mix in the olive oil, vinegar and lightly salt and pepper it.

Serve the zucchini with the marinara on the side or top.  So yummy!